In most conventional vehicles, such as cars, trucks and SUV's, the foot wells for the occupants are carpeted. Often the automotive manufacturers offer floor mats to protect these foot wells. Automotive aftermarket manufacturers also offer floor covers to protect the foot wells. Vehicle floor covers, including floor mats and trays, preferably are furnished with placement and securing aids so that they will stay in one place in the vehicle foot well.
To aid in the placement and stability of vehicle floor covers and ultimately provide a more solid feel to the occupant's feet, vehicle manufacturers (commonly called original equipment manufacturers or OEMs) usually place retention posts or other structure in the vehicle foot wells. Often the floor mats or trays have respective apertures sized to accept the retention posts through them. However, retention post morphology and use vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and may even vary from model to model and seat to seat. The variance in OEM mat retention systems makes the provision of aftermarket floor mats and trays for these models more costly and less universal. In many instances, OEMs will provide floor mat retention devices for the driver's side but none for the passenger's side and none for any other seat position.
Thus a need exists for a vehicle floor cover retention device that can be used to secure a vehicle floor mat or tray when there is no retention post or other device or structure in the foot well and that is easy for a consumer to use.